Instillery

As appeared in the Presence Pointers column of the September 2007 issue of “Business Watch” magazine.

Would you be surprised to learn that you have a web presence already, even if you don’t have a website? Of course, you should have a website already anyway… perhaps this will give you another reason for doing so.

Reputation monitoring is an area of growing importance thanks to the ease of publishing on the web. Reputation monitoring isn’t just for businesses, but is equally important for non-profit organizations, clubs, groups, as well as individuals. Monitoring your reputation is all about knowing what’s being said, where it’s being said, and by whom.

The web has raised the bar all around—making it even easier for those who want to express their thoughts or opinions about you, both good and bad. The benefits and power of the web isn’t just for those expressing those opinions and over the next few paragraphs, you’ll at least get started down the path of reputation monitoring. Continue reading “Got a Rep to Protect? – Reputation Monitoring”

As appeared in the Presence Pointers column of the August 2007 issue of “Business Watch” magazine.

Flash in the pan is a catchy saying that derived from a very literal meaning. It generally means “something or someone that disappoints or fails to deliver anything of value, even though its showy beginning promised otherwise.” Literally though, it referred to the firing of muskets, which had small “pans” that held the priming used to ignite the main firing charge, and the priming ignited but failed to ignite the main charge. So, you’d end up with a “flash” but no results… the musket didn’t fire.

So what does this have to do with your website? Well there is a very generic connection, but I have a very specific reference in mind. There is a technology called Flash®, which you have probably experienced online. It has many uses… delivering video or audio, site navigation, interactive banner ads, and even entire websites. Continue reading “Is Your Website Flash In the Pan?”

As appeared in the Presence Pointers column of the July 2007 issue of “Business Watch” magazine.

The World Wide Web has brought the world closer together over the last decade. It has connected us to people, groups, businesses, products, entertainment and ideas. It has created new jobs, businesses, industries, and enabled the largest marketplace ever. Amazingly, for many businesses, the greatest impact is yet to come.

Perhaps all this talk of “world wide” hasn’t been a huge selling point for you. If your market is measured in blocks, square miles or even counties, the potential for the “world” to find you may not call for fanfare. Well, dig out your noise-makers and let’s get ready to party. Continue reading “Local Web Search Coming To Your Location”

The web has had an incredible impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. It has changed the way we do things and even the way business is done. The 4 Ps of the Marketing Mix have been fundamental basics in business for decades. Here are 4 new Ps that every smart marketer needs to be aware of. Time to go back to school and learn the new fundamentals, the Internet Marketing 4 Ps 2.0.

If you ever took a class in marketing, read a book on marketing or watched the movie Jerry Maguire, then you’ve at least been exposed to the 4 Ps of marketing. You may not be able to name them off the top of your head, but that will just make learning the new 4 Ps even easier. The new 4 Ps have grown out of the Internet and search engine marketing, but their influence will surely cross over as the line between online and offline continues to blur.

The 4 Ps have served as a foundation of almost all marketing efforts for decades. The 4 Ps aren’t going away, but thanks to the web, there are 4 new Ps that may be far more instrumental in your success or failure, especially online. Before we compare the old to the new, there are two more Ps that play a pivotal role in understanding the shift from 4 Ps to 4 Ps 2.0. Continue reading “New 4Ps of Marketing…4 Ps 2.0”

Okay, so now that you’ve found some sources for creative content ideas, we need to tackle one of the most daunting tasks every website owner faces… content creation. Even experienced web professionals are often challenged by content creation, so you are in good company.

Good unique content is the most important thing that any website can offer. It is equally important to search engines and your live visitors. There are countless ways to approach creating content for your website, but we’ll just cover a handful of basics here to help get your wheels turning. These basics are universal to every website. Continue reading “Creating Content for Your Website 101”